Treason
by Deandra
Summary: All evidence suggests Eothain has betrayed his king. ONESHOT, but in two chapters. Part 113 of the Elfwine Chronicles.
1. Chapter 1

_**Part 113 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.**_

_**A/N: Reread an Eothain chronicle and decided I wanted to do more with him. This is the result. Many thanks to Maddy051280 for the information I used regarding the drug.**_

**Treason**

**(March, 6 IV)**

**Chapter 1**

Lothiriel swept down the length of the cavernous room toward the throne, exuding every particle of royalty she possessed. Coming to a stop a few feet back from the foot of the dais, she gave a low curtsy and held it. In short order, Elessar directed her, "Rise, Queen Lothiriel. You wish to speak with me?" Only because there were others present were the two of them being so formal, for they had long been friends.

"I do, my lord. I must insist that Lord Eothain be released at once. If he is guilty of any crime, my husband will see him punished, but I know of no Gondorian laws he has broken."

An adviser nearby blustered, "My lady! The man is guilty of treason to his king! Your own son has been taken captive because of his failing, possibly even by his own hand!"

Lothiriel fixed the man with a steely look that froze him in place, and immediately silenced him. "If that is true, Rohan will determine it and see the man suitably dealt with, but at present I do NOT believe the accusations. I demand Eothain be released – at once! He is needed to recover my son!"

Another adviser stepped in, trying to defuse the situation, though unwittingly fueling the flame. "My lady, we have the finest men of Gondor searching for your son. You can hardly send a man accused of participating in his abduction off on a rescue mission."

"I will send whomever I judge best to protect my son, and that is Lord Eothain, regardless of what you may say on the matter. I would trust my son's life to him far more than to any of _Gondor's finest_!"

Elessar barely concealed a grin; Lothiriel could be most formidable when she wished and she would not leave his advisers unscathed if they persisted in antagonizing her. Clearing his throat, he rose and all eyes turned to him. "My dearest friend, perhaps it would be best if we keep Eothain secured until King Eomer arrives and we can counsel with him on the matter." He saw the beginning of a protest rising in her, and lifted a hand to stay her comments. "I know that you trust Eothain, and I should like to think I can as well, but under the circumstances, until we learn more, I think we should be cautious."

Elessar held Lothiriel's gaze intently, seeking to convey to her the need to comply with his decision, and though her jaw tightened, she finally nodded consent. The truth was, he did not believe the accusations against Eothain any more than Lothiriel did, but something more was going on here than met the eye, and Eothain being imprisoned might buy them time to discover it.

Stepping down to where she stood, Elessar took her hands in his, promising quietly, "I will send for you directly so we may talk, but for now I have other matters I must attend to at present." He gave her a reassuring smile, then added softly, "Trust me!"

Gradually, her stiffness eased and she nodded. "Will you arrange for someone to escort me to see Eothain, after I have collected a few things to take to him?"

"Of course. Speak with Arwen and she will get you whatever you require."

xx

"Eothain!" Lothiriel exclaimed upon spying him, sitting on the cot, leaning against the stone wall.

His head turned at her voice and a small smile briefly broke his face, before he slumped back into introspection. "Open the door!" Lothiriel demanded.

"My lady, I am not permitted to –"

"I said open the door! Now! Or I will have your king relieve you of duty – permanently!" she snarled, and the man swallowed hard before doing as he was told.

She quickly moved to sit beside Eothain, her eyes roving over him to assess any injuries he might have. "You are unhurt?" she asked quietly.

He nodded tiredly. "Yes. Would that I could say I sustained mortal wounds defending Elfwine from harm, but..." His face reflected his anguish, and Lothiriel laid a consoling hand on his arm.

"You are not to blame for this, Eothain! Do not think I would ever believe that!"

He raised sorrowful eyes to her and murmured, "But I did not prevent it. I did not even see it coming. If anything happens to Elfwine, I..."

"It will not! I will get you out of here and you will find those responsible – and exact your retribution."

Eothain sighed and nodded, not entirely believing her version of things, but disinclined to argue the point. Turning to a basket she carried, Lothiriel opened it to reveal food and two extra blankets. Raising her voice so the guards would be sure to hear her, she announced, "I will see that you are well taken care of while you are imprisoned, Eothain. I shall come daily to check on you, and if I find anything amiss, I will go directly to King Elessar about it. I will not tolerate any neglect of you."

Eothain lowered his eyes and grinned. Well he knew that it was not wise to cross Rohan's queen when she was up in arms. "Thank you, my lady. That is very kind of you."

Laying her hand on his arm again, she lowered her voice and added, "According to Arwen, Elessar thinks it best that you remain here until Eomer arrives. Whoever did this may be misled into thinking we believe you are guilty, and thus act carelessly. I do not like it, but I trust Elessar's judgement."

Eothain looked up at her from under the hair that had fallen in his eyes. "King Elessar is a good and wise man. I trust him to do what is right. I would have you stay near him and do as he says."

Lothiriel made to stand, not sure what more could be said, but suddenly Eothain's hand shot out and caught her wrist tightly, holding her in her seat. In a fierce whisper he told her, "Tell Eomer to watch his back, Lothiriel, and you as well! Whoever did this – if they could get to Elfwine so easily and get me out of the way, then they could get to Eomer or you. I do not know what their ultimate purpose is, but do not trust anyone. Whoever betrayed me was someone I knew, someone I trusted."

She nodded and laid a hand on his where it gripped her, then raised it to briefly brush his cheek. She started to rise, but then paused, asking, "Is there anything at all you remember that might be useful?"

He shook his head in resignation. "I keep trying to pierce the fog, but so far nothing is clear. Whatever I was given seems to have caused me to have confusing dreams, and I cannot truly remember even those, though perhaps that is just as well. I am more interested in remembering what happened while I was awake than while I slept. But it appears I will have plenty of time to consider the matter. Be assured, you will be the first to know if anything comes to me!"

She dipped her head in understanding and stood, and Eothain stiffly rose as well, bowing formally to her. "Thank you for coming, my lady." The full weight of his appreciation for her faith in him shone in his eyes and she smiled, nodding ever so slightly before departing.

xx

Lothiriel moved into Elessar's study, and the guard closed the door behind her. The king smiled tightly at her and gestured her to a seat on the couch, then moved to sit next to her.

"According to Kialmar, nothing unusual transpired that night. None of the Rohirrim saw anything to give any alarm; certainly no odd behavior on Eothain's part. I had sent out a party of my own soldiers to meet them, and escort them to the city, and since they were already camped when my men arrived, they settled in for the night also, to return the next day – today."

He rose to pace around the room as he continued. "My men claim to have seen nothing either, and no one heard anything amiss. Eothain stumbled from his tent before dawn, searching for Elfwine and quite confused. He said he remembered nothing of the night before. It was discovered that his tent had been slit, likely how the boy was removed. There were footprints that led to the nearby woods, and then horses' tracks, but they merged into the main road, and so the trail could not be followed beyond that. The perpetrators could have taken Elfwine anywhere.

"My men felt it incumbent that they put Eothain under guard since he had been the one charged with Elfwine's safety. As he had suffered no injury, there was no evidence the boy was taken from him by force, and they only had his claim that he must have been drugged, though he had no idea by whom or how they accomplished it.

"However, he was able to get a few moments alone with Kialmar as camp was being struck, so he scribbled a note to Eomer and had Kialmar sneak two riders out of the camp, rightly judging that my men might not allow such a thing. We can assume they will make quick time to Edoras, and Eomer will soon be on his way here."

Now Elessar turned to face Lothiriel, and rubbed his face wearily. "Legolas is in Ithilien at present, so I had Faramir send someone to fetch him, along with several of the Ithilien rangers. They are the best trackers we have, and I shall accompany them personally to the site to see if we can determine anything that was previously overlooked."

Though Lothiriel was one of the strongest women he knew, Elessar now watched her crumble before him. She collapsed in tears, moaning softly, "My poor baby! He must be so very frightened!"

Quickly Elessar took her into his embrace. "I promise we will find him and punish those responsible for this, Lothiriel. Do not despair just yet. And Elfwine is a good strong lad – he will manage to get through this."

He let her weep for several minutes before she finally recovered enough to wipe at her eyes and nose. Retrieving a handkerchief for her, he offered it and smiled compassionately. He could well understand how he would feel if this was his son who had been taken.

The momentary lapse seemed to help Lothiriel regain her control and she gave him a tepid smile. "I thank you for everything, Elessar. I am grateful you are here if Eomer is not. What would you have me do?"

"For now, all we can do is wait. Legolas and the rangers should be here soon, and then we will proceed."

xx

It had taken until the next day for Faramir's messenger to reach Ithilien and locate Legolas, and they did not return to Minas Tirith until nightfall. As it was too late to set out, Elessar and his friend spent the evening strategizing with the rangers and Faramir, bringing Kialmar in to speak on behalf of the king's guard in Eothain's place.

It had rained during the night, which would not help matters when it came time to try and track the abductors, but they were prepared to search every foot of Middle Earth if that was what it took to find the boy.

Though Elessar had intended an early departure in the morning, his advisers had anticipated him, and he was met by them shortly after leaving his bedchamber. They had been very vocal in their opposition to his participating in this venture, thinking it far too dangerous for the king, but he had remained adamant on that point. Now they had another matter they thought the king ought to consider.

"My lord, do you not find it suspicious that Rohan's heir has been abducted and Rohan's queen is earnestly defending the man accused? Perhaps she is in collusion with this Eothain. Perhaps they are lovers and seek to overthrow Rohan's monarchy and thus take control there! We must be most cautious!"

The man had not seen King Eomer enter the room, nor noted the fury on his face when he heard what was being said. In a few strides, Eomer had reached Elessar's adviser and had him lifted by the throat. "First you suggest my dearest friend has betrayed me, and now you dare to accuse my wife as well? Give me one good reason why I should not just snap your neck and be done with it!" he spat, and a look of sheer terror came to the man's face, as he gasped for air, his fingers clawing frantically at Eomer's hand around his neck.

"Eomer," Elessar said quietly, intervening, "let him go. Murdering an imbecile will serve no useful purpose."

For a moment it did not appear as though Eomer would comply, but at length he tossed the man across the room as though he were a sack of potatoes. He crashed heavily to the stone floor, and lay there dazed as Elessar moved in and grasped Eomer's arm to calm him.

The storm still raged on Eomer's face as he turned to look at his friend, only slowly setting aside his anger. "Come," Elessar told him, "we will speak in private." He led the way toward his study, and the assembled members of his council shifted uneasily where they stood, concerned at how volatile this situation had become.

Once they were alone, Elessar informed Eomer on what had been happening in Gondor. When he finished, he added, "We were not expecting to see you so soon, my friend. We thought it would take far longer for the messengers to reach Edoras and you to set out."

Eomer had moved to the window and was staring out at the grey dawn, just beginning to be lit with a few rays of sunlight peeking over the mountains. With a sigh, he turned and explained, "I sent Elfwine on ahead with Eothain because I expected not to get away for another week or more, but the situation changed and I was able to leave earlier. I met the messengers on the road yesterday morning, and we rode through the night to get here." He paused, then looked searchingly at his friend, "How is Lothiriel coping with this?"

"She is a courageous woman, as you well know, but it affects her deeply. We were just going to leave to begin the search. I assume you will want to join us, so I will delay for an hour or so that you may see her, and perhaps Eothain as well."

"Thank you," Eomer acknowledged. "Our horses are exhausted. Could you provide a fresh mount for me? I will take the guard that was with Elfwine with me since they are rested, if you will have them summoned."

Elessar nodded. "I am sure Faramir already knows of your arrival and is seeing to your men, and Kialmar was planning to take some of the guard with us. Now that you have other men in the city to protect Lothiriel, we can muster the remainder of them as well." Moving toward the door, he added, "Lothiriel is in your usual room. I will send food for you there, and then you can go see Eothain."

xx

Eomer was not surprised that his wife woke almost instantly as he entered the room, nor that she did not look rested. In silence he seated himself on the side of the bed and drew her into his embrace, holding her tightly. Again, her tears flowed, and she murmured into his shoulder, "I do not know what I would do if he is lost to us!"

"Shhh! He will not be. I will not even contemplate that possibility. We will find them, and those who took him will regret they were ever born!" Eomer promised.

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of his meal, and interrupted the moment. Pressing a kiss to her head, he went to let the servant in before returning to her side. While he ate, he explained what was planned and that he would be leaving shortly to begin the search.

"What about Eothain?" she asked.

"Eothain has ever been at my side during such times as these, and he will continue to be. He is going with us, if I have to break him out of that prison singlehandedly!"

A smile tweaked Lothiriel's mouth briefly, before she nodded. "Good. I cannot believe he willfully did anything to betray us or Elfwine. He deserves to be there to punish those who are guilty."

xx

Eomer ducked into the cell, and Eothain rose to respectfully greet his king. He knew Eomer did not expect it of him, but he felt it important to do so with the guard present. Once the man stepped out of the room, Eothain relaxed slightly and gave Eomer a wan grin before slumping back onto the bench where he had been seated.

Eomer moved to sit beside him, glancing around the cell and surprised with how comfortable it seemed. He raised an eyebrow to look at his friend, who readily grasped his thoughts.

"Courtesy of your wife," he explained with a chuckle. "I believe she has most of the guards thoroughly intimidated, and terrified of offending her by slighting me!"

Eomer gave a wry smile at his words, commenting, "I would expect nothing less. Lothiriel can be quite tenacious about defending her own." He lapsed into silence for a few moments, and then ventured, "What happened? I have heard what others have told me, but I want to hear it from you."

With a sigh, Eothain nodded. "Certainly I have had plenty of time to ponder the matter. It has taken awhile for my memory to clear, and even so I do not have all the answers I would like. There was nothing notable that happened that night, Eomer. It makes no sense at all if you look at it just on facts alone. As I told Lothiriel, someone I trusted had to have betrayed me and done this, for I saw no enemy that night."

"Then who _did_ you see? We will go through each of them one by one until we find the culprit. If you are not guilty, and I know you are not, then someone else is, and we _will_ find them – and make them pay."

After going through the roster of men who had been there that night, Eomer leaned back against the wall, his eyes narrowed. "Elessar sent some of his soldiers to greet you?"

Eothain nodded, but added, "They were all men that I had met before when I have been in Gondor, and none did anything that made me suspicious."

"Still," Eomer observed, "I am more inclined to suspect them than one of our own soldiers. We have long trusted the men of the King's Guard with our lives and safety, and I choose not to distrust them unless it is unavoidable. We will start with the Gondorians."

"Proceed with…tact, Eomer. You cannot jump in and make accusations against Elessar's men without something substantial in the way of evidence. We do not wish to undo the peace and goodwill between our lands after so short a time," Eothain reminded his king.

Eomer nodded, pondering the situation for a few moments, and then rose decisively. Looking down at his friend, he told him, "Be ready to ride. I will have you out of here soon and then we will find Elfwine."

Once Eomer left, Eothain leaned back and closed his eyes. As was becoming commonplace, that fateful night flashed through his mind's eye and he watched the evening play out yet again. _What was he missing? What detail was he overlooking?_ There had to have been something, some clue in what happened that would guide them to the criminals behind this.

He shivered as he thought of Elfwine, alone with these men. The boy would be terrified, wondering why Eothain did not come to claim him. He could not fail the child. Elfwine might be Eomer's son, but Eothain loved him as dearly as if he were his own. Nevermind his duty as captain of the king's guard – this was personal!

TBC

(Point of reference: Elfwine is 5 here; "Frolic" took place in Jun, 6 IV)

_**End note:  It is best that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order, but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Elessar had not bothered to seek the permission of his council in meeting Eomer's request that Eothain join them. He could predict the arguments that would ensue, and accomplish nothing more than delaying them. Besides, as Lothiriel had rightly noted, Eothain had not broken any of Gondor's laws. They had no reason to hold him if his king instructed he be released. Even so, he was not given a sword, and every appearance was made that he was merely being taken along, though not as a free man. Until they knew precisely what they were dealing with, both kings had thought it wise to pretend as though they considered Eothain culpable.

At Eomer's request, the same men who had met the king's guard that night were brought along this time. He felt certain one or more of them was behind this; he could not believe any of his own men would harm his heir or betray him so. Each man had been stringently chosen for his guard, and more than one person indicated their character was above reproach. The same could not be said of the men of Gondor. While Elessar did have a special guard for himself and his family, the bulk of Gondor's forces were enlistees, and this group of men fell into that class. Any manner of man could join the army, and their character was not too closely examined.

Though not caring to believe his men guilty, Elessar could not shake the feeling that Eomer was correct. Were he in Eomer's boots, he would draw the same conclusion of where to look for the guilty party.

Three men had been left at the site where they had camped, to ensure that no one came and tried to eliminate any tracks or evidence that might remain there. They reached the location by early afternoon, and after a hasty meal, the rangers and Elessar spread out to comb the area for anything that would give a clue about where Elfwine had been taken. Meanwhile, Eothain and Kialmar sketched the layout of the camp as best they remembered it, including the location of those who had been on guard through the night and where the Gondorians had been situated.

Judging Elessar and the rangers' tracking skills to be far greater than his own, Eomer remained in camp, interviewing his guard about what they remembered of that night. He did it in small groups so that anything one said might jar the memory of someone else. In the end, though, all the reports were essentially the same – nothing remarkable had taken place.

When he finished with his own men, he started on the Gondorian contingent. Hoping it would cause him to remember something, Eothain sat in on all the interviews, though off in a corner by himself. He could not honestly say that any of their comments struck him as being significant, but he found himself watching one man in particular.

He had known Pethren for nearly two years now, having met several times on past visits to Minas Tirith. The man was affable enough, and usually he had ended up having a drink with him and some others at a local tavern at least once each visit. Nothing anyone said, including Pethren himself, gave Eothain reason to feel suspicious of him, but neither could he tear his eyes or his mind from the man. _Why?_

Consciously averting his eyes so as not to draw attention to his staring, Eothain racked his brain for anything that might be of note in his dealings with the man. But there was nothing that came to mind. They had met under the most mundane circumstances, and why would the man suddenly turn on him this long after the fact? He could easily have struck sooner if he was the guilty one. Further, that night had not been unusual. Even then, the man had behaved as he always had. No, he could not truthfully say he had any reason to doubt the man's honor. Still, when the interviews ended, Pethren was the only one that had put him on the alert. Perhaps there was something he had seen and subconsciously remembered, though it did not come readily to the forefront of his thoughts. He could make no accusations, but he could certainly keep a closer eye on the Gondorian soldier. Not wanting to color anyone else's judgement, he kept his musings to himself.

At nightfall, the searchers returned from their first reconnaissance. None had anything of note to report, and there was a sense of discouragement about the group gathered at the fire for supper. Already it was three days since the boy had been taken. How far would the abductors have gotten in that time? And in which direction? They could only hope Elfwine would be well treated, but not knowing the culprits' purpose, there was concern on that score also.

While the men gathered at the fire for their supper, Eomer and Elessar ate together in Eomer's tent. Eothain remained sequestered alone, and though Legolas briefly appeared for a quick bite with his friends, he did not linger.

Not unexpectedly, the conversation among the men over their meal concerned their present circumstances. Idly, Pethren observed, "The part that makes the least sense is how Eothain could have been drugged. After all, he ate and drank of the same provisions everyone else did. When could his food have been tainted unnoticed? And searching here seems pointless. We found nothing before, and after that rain there is likely nothing to be found. I suspect the abductors are quite far from here by now."

There were several murmurs of agreement with this appraisal, until a rider allowed, "Perhaps not, but King Elessar's tracking skills are legendary. If there is anything at all to be found, I believe he will find it."

"Perhaps already has," another member of the king's guard added, and all eyes turned to him questioningly. Noticing that he had their attention, he explained, "I accidentally overheard King Elessar saying something to King Eomer. It sounded like he had discovered something but did not wish it to be commonly known. Maybe we are closer to solving this riddle than we think. I hope it is so. Elfwine is a fine lad, and I would very much wish to see him recovered." The man swallowed the last of his wine as the others nodded concurrence.

In the shadow of a tent, some distance away, Legolas stood unmoving and unseen. He did not turn his head when someone drew near and asked quietly, "Anything?"

"Indeed. Pethren is subtly urging disbelief of Eothain's claim about being drugged, though not outright challenging his truthfulness. But the trap has been set that you have found a clue. Now we will see if anyone takes the bait."

Elessar gripped his friend's shoulder in silence, then soundlessly moved away. He and Eomer were convinced that one of his men was at the heart of this, and Pethren was the one both had tentatively identified. He and his good friend Gontor, would be set on guard duty this night, to offer them a chance to show their hand.

The camp gradually wound down and settled in for the night. Eomer had made one last visit to Eothain before turning in himself, though no one seemed to notice the sword he had worn was missing from his hip when he returned to his own tent. And then all was quiet, though not everyone slept.

"Pethren," Gontor called softly drawing near. Pethren turned to look questioningly at him in the dim moonlight. "What are we going to do? If Elessar truly has found something..."

"I doubt that very much, but we cannot chance it. You will keep an eye on things here and cover for me. If anyone notices me missing, tell them I am presently communing with the trees. That should satisfy them, and I will not be gone long. Once I have sent the others on their way with the boy, I will be back and no one will be the wiser."

Gontor didn't look entirely comfortable with the blasé assessment Pethren had given, but he was in too deep now to turn back. This had to be seen through to the end. "Well, be quick about it! I do not want to have to face them if they realize it is more than the trees you are visiting!"

Glancing around to make sure nothing was stirring in the camp, Pethren nodded to his friend. "I will be back as soon as possible. Keep moving back and forth between our respective areas, and likely no one will notice there is only one guard out here."

Eothain nearly jumped out of his skin when Legolas materialized silently at his side from his vantage point for watching Pethren and Gontor. "It is time, my friend," Legolas told him, barely above a whisper. "Follow me."

The two circled well around Gontor's position, keeping constant watch that he was not alerted to their presence. It seemed to Eothain that they must surely lose Pethren, but Legolas continued confidently forward in the dark, so the big man focused his attention on staying with the elf and not making too much noise with his passage.

When they reached the horse Legolas had secured out of sight for them, Eothain noticed there was only one animal. "Where is my horse?" he whispered.

"We will take mine. He is an elvish horse and will make little sound to be overheard." Then, suspecting Eothain's hesitation, he explained, "The burden will not be too much for him."

Reluctantly, Eothain swung up behind the elf and they continued on. To Eothain's eyes and ears, they were merely wandering in the darkness, but Legolas seemed sure of their course and the man had little choice but to trust him.

They had traveled a couple of leagues, by Eothain's best guess, when Legolas finally drew rein, and gestured for him to dismount. Lightly landing beside Eothain, he caught his arm and led him cautiously forward. In short order, they came to a small clearing where a horse was tied. "This is where we part company, my friend," Legolas said softly. "May the Valar protect you in this endeavor. I will return as soon as I can with the others."

The elf melted away into the night and Eothain was left alone. Starting forward, he was careful to give the appearance of stealth, but to make enough noise to attract the horse's attention, causing it to nicker at him. Slowly he edged closer and closer to the cave entrance, then took a steadying breath and started inside.

As he went deeper, he could hear voices of men – it sounded like two of them, but perhaps more were merely listening. His sword came out of its sheath, though he only made a minimal effort to do it silently. He was beginning to wonder how careless these men were to not have yet detected him, when suddenly a blade appeared at his face.

Pethren stood smirking at him. "Going somewhere, Eothain? I do not recall inviting you to this gathering!"

"I invited myself," Eothain spat. "It would seem something was delivered here in error when it rightfully belongs to someone else. I am here to return it – safe and sound."

"I think not," Pethren shrugged. "I have further use for it, and you are proving most annoying. Move!"

He gestured slightly with the sword, indicating Eothain should continue on into the cave. There were two men at a fire, and they rose when he came into view, not appearing surprised by his presence. Eothain's eyes roved the cave but saw evidence of no one else – a good sign. _Three was a manageable number._ It took a moment to locate Elfwine, huddled in sleep at the back of the cave, a thin dirty blanket all he had for a blanket and pillow combined. The lad shivered as he slept too far from the fire to receive its warmth, and the blanket was insufficient to ward off the chill of the cave. Bile rose in Eothain's throat at the sight. _Oh yes, they would pay for this!_

"How did you get here?" Pethren demanded.

With a sneer, Eothain told him, "Despite your efforts to betray me, I am trusted by my king, so I was lightly guarded. I suspected it was you who was behind this, so I snuck out to confront you. It was most accommodating of you to lead me here. It seems our camp was short one sentry, so I did not find it difficult to leave."

He was rewarded with a flash of irritation in the man's eyes, but Pethren wasn't about to show weakness even as his companions were looking decidedly nervous. "On the contrary! You have just made it easier to dispose of you once and for all – but not yet. Your 'escape' will further suggest your guilt in this matter, so we will not kill you yet. In fact, a big strong man like you ought to bring a pretty price on the slave markets!"

Unfazed by the threat, Eothain glared at the Gondorian. "Why? Why have you taken the boy?"

"Why? Why not? Unlike you, the great Rohirric warrior who has let himself be turned into a nursemaid, I have ambitions in my life. I do not intend to spend the rest of my days as a poorly paid soldier who garners little respect. If the Dunlendings cannot meet my asking price for Rohan's heir, then I am sure the Haradrim slave traders will be happy to do so. Such a prize will bring a pretty price, and I will live comfortably, taking orders from no one!"

"Over my dead body will you harm that boy!" Eothain snarled.

"_That _can be arranged!" Pethren snapped back.

Just then, their shouting awoke Elfwine and he sleepily blinked at them across the fire. "Eothain!" he exclaimed as he finally registered this was not a dream. Jumping up, he ran and flung himself at the big man, who swung him up into his arms. Immediately Elfwine's arms snaked tightly around his neck and the boy murmured through his tears, "I knew you would come for me!"

"How touching! The boy is fond of his _nursemaid_!" Pethren sneered sarcastically. "Move! Over there. Tie his hands and feet."

"What if someone saw him leave and followed him here? They could be outside even now!" one man asked fearfully.

"There is no one out there!" Pethren snarled. "If anyone was there, they would have come in with him or attacked us by now. He is merely trying to unnerve us. That is what I came to tell you. There is a possibility that Elessar found something that would lead them here. If so, they will be searching tomorrow. You need to strike camp now and move to a new location. There is a deserted farmhouse several leagues away – remember? The one where we first met to discuss this. Circle around and rejoin the main road until you are nearer to where it is located. They will again lose your tracks amid all the others on the road."

"And what if they do not?" one man queried, looking decidedly unhappy. "If we get caught with the boy, it will be our necks. They are apt to kill us before we can even tell them about you! You will be nice and safe off in Gondor!"

"There is no time to argue about this! You knew the risks when first you went into this venture! If they catch you, they catch me. Do you honestly believe neither of these two will identify me to them? Now go and do as I say. I must get back so I can keep up on their movements and try to lead them down the wrong paths."

The two were clearly not appeased, but they fell to packing up the camp anyway. Eothain and Elfwine watched silently from the back of the cave, trying not to draw attention to themselves. In the confusion, the two men had not yet heeded Pethren's admonition to bind him, and Eothain wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Finally, the men turned toward their captives, and one man started forward. Looking Eothain over, he turned slightly to say over his shoulder, "We will never be able to get him on a horse with his hands tied. Perhaps we should wait until he is mounted to bind him."

In that moment, while his attention was diverted, Eothain shoved Elfwine backwards and seized the other man's sword. A powerful backhanded fist to the man's face sent him crashing to the floor, dazed, as Eothain ripped the sword from its sheath and moved to face the other two.

Pethren angrily pulled his own sword. "I have had enough of you, Nursemaid! Little matter if they know it was not you who abducted the boy. It will be a pleasure dispatching you once and for all!"

What Pethren had not taken into account was that Eothain was larger, stronger and angrier than he was, as well as more skilled with a blade. Eothain had long been acknowledged as one of the finest swordsmen in all of Rohan, though he modestly rarely spoke of his ability. At the moment, though, he was grateful for every ounce of skill he possessed. The other man moved in, his sword drawn as well, thinking to overwhelm the big man, but when Eothain had agreed to this plan he had made a single vow to Eomer – he would recover Elfwine unharmed, even if it killed him. None of these men would _ever_ lay another hand on the boy, not while he drew breath.

Pethren's overconfidence in his own prowess was his undoing, and the fight was shortlived. Eothain had at last struck his blade from his hand, just as Pethren's companion bolted for the exit and attempted escape. Only now, the third man was groggily trying to recover from the blow Eothain had dealt him, but he was yet no threat.

Just as Eothain was about to make his final stroke, ending Pethren's worthless life, his eyes flicked across the cave. Elfwine stood pressed against the cave wall, his eyes wide with horror as he stared at the battle before him. In that moment, Eothain's cold fury suddenly thawed. _No. The boy had been through enough._ He would not fix in the child's mind the image of a man being killed. Sooner or later the lad would have to face such things, but not now, not yet.

Wearily he lowered his sword, kicking Pethren's sword well out of his reach. Gesturing with his blade, he moved him over with the other man just as Eomer and Elessar ran into the cave with swords in hand.

"Papa!" Elfwine exclaimed at the sight of his father, rushing into his arms.

Eomer hefted him into his embrace, trying not to crush the boy with the fervor of his hold. There were no words to express his relief that his son was safe once more. The boy was weeping into his shoulder, and finally murmured, "Eothain saved me, Papa!"

"I know," Eomer replied, gazing over at his friend who was watching them with some emotion. "Eothain would never willingly let anything happen to you, dearest." At his words, the distress on Eothain's face cleared somewhat. Eomer knew the big man would be a long time forgiving himself that this had ever happened, but the king wanted his friend to know he held him blameless.

"Come," Elessar said at length. "Let us take some rest for what remains of the night, and then get this lad home to his mama. I am sure she is eager to know he is recovered."

The stars over Eothain's head felt much different than they had of late, now that he was once more truly a free man. All of the perpetrators were in custody and would be punished for their crimes, but this was not an event Eothain would soon forget. Always before in his life, he had been able to recognize the enemy. He saw now that things had changed. Never again would he allow himself to be so deceived, and endanger one of Eomer's family members. They had been fortunate this time, that is all.

xxxxx

Elessar looked up and smiled as Eomer entered his study. "My friend," he acknowledged. "How are things?"

Eomer seated himself across the desk from the king, and shrugged. "Slowly returning to normal. It will take time for Eothain to become himself again. Did we find out how they accomplished this?"

Elessar nodded. "An extract taken from a form of saluie – sage in the Common Tongue. With Pethren and Gontor working together, they were able to slip it into Eothain's ale that night without anyone noticing."

"But how could they have..." Eomer trailed off, still perplexed that they could put together such a plan given he had changed the details of their trip. Even if they had thought to attack the party on the road, or snatch the boy at Minas Tirith, how could they have regrouped so quickly under the revised circumstances?

As if reading his thoughts, Elessar explained, "They had intended to attempt their abduction here at Minas Tirith, but when the situation altered, and those two were inadvertently included in the party of soldiers sent to meet your Riders, they decided it would be easier and safer to attempt it on the road than here. They got word to their co-conspirators before they left the city to meet Eothain's group, and the two formulated the plan while they were riding on how to slip the extract into his drink unnoticed. They were counting on Rohan being off its guard by their added presence for 'protection'."

The two sat silently pondering what Elessar had said, and then Gondor's king queried, "How is Elfwine faring? Does he suffer any ill-effects from the experience?"

Eomer sighed and nodded. "Lothiriel let him sleep with us last night, and I know he woke several times, quite agitated until he saw that we were there and he was safe. I think it will take awhile for him to get over this. Lothiriel as well. She is reluctant to let him from her sight now, and fortunately his own fears mean he is more than willing to be so coddled. I hope both of them will be easier before we return home." He paused, then added, "Though I cannot blame them. I find I am also on edge whenever the boy is away from me."

"Give it time," Elessar counseled. "This nightmare is fresh in your minds – not unexpectedly." He sighed before observing, "We, both of us, must accustom ourselves to a new sort of enemy now – one not so easily recognized."

xx

The door opened and Lothiriel entered with Elfwine holding her hand. Elessar turned from where he was standing at the window and smiled at the pair.

Gesturing for them to come forward, he settled on the couch and waved Elfwine to him as Lothiriel seated herself in a chair nearby. Lifting the boy into his lap, Elessar wrapped his arms around the tiny shoulders. "You have had quite an experience, young Elfwine." The boy nodded, tears welling in his eyes.

"Were you frightened?" Elessar asked kindly, and Elfwine nodded again, ducking his head in embarrassment.

"I tried to be brave, but I could not help it!" he explained, and Elessar's grip tightened around him.

"On the contrary, you were very brave," the king told him. "That was a very frightening thing for anyone, and you did well. Bravery is not the absence of fear; it is remaining strong in spite of the fear. And you did that. I am very proud of you."

Elfwine's eyes grew round and he grinned. "Truly?"

"Truly!" Elessar assured him, pressing a kiss to the boy's head. "Now then, Eldarion is most eager to play with you. Would you like to spend some time with him?"

Elessar could not miss the slight intake of breath from Lothiriel, but after a moment's hesitation, Elfwine nodded. "I want to play with him, also. May I, Mama?"

Letting out a slow breath, Lothiriel finally nodded. "Of course, dearest. Enjoy yourself." Her eyes met Elessar's and she added softly, "Thank you, from both of us."

"Would that it had never happened," he replied quietly, but smiled reassuringly at her. Lothiriel was strong, as was her son. They would overcome this and get on with their lives. Of that, he was certain.

THE END

12/25/ 06 – 1/1/07

Pethren - "crooked word"

Gontor - "stone brother"


End file.
